Copy vs Content is a conversation that often makes me frustrated. They are not the same thing but have a lot of overlap and similarities, but they aren’t the same thing. That’s because they are centered around different purposes. It can be a little convoluted when you get too far into the discussion so I’ll try to be cautious how deep we dive here.

Copy vs Content

What is Copy?

“Copy is written material, in contrast to photographs or other elements of layout, in contents such as magazines, advertising, and books. In advertising, web marketing and similar fields, copy refers to the output of copywriters, who are employed to write material which encourages consumers to buy goods or services”

Basically copy is used for campaigns or advertisements with the purpose to push for a buy. Written words that are succinate, influential, engaging. Copy is more common with print ads, radio or television scripts, product packaging, product listings, social media campaigns.

What is Content?

“content is the information and experiences that are directed toward an end-user or audience.”

Content is more focused on educating, drawing attention, telling a story, inspiring an emotion. Written words that take things slower and take the reader on a journey. If Copy is the information on the Poster and Trailer, content is the script within the film. Commonly, content is used for web pages, landing pages, SEO, blogs, articles, case studies.

Symbiosis

Copy vs Content isn’t a fight at all, it’s a collaboration. You really do NEED both. Some writers only write one or the other, while others write both. There’s also technical writing which is another common online writing style. If you want to learn about the differences in copy, SEO content, and technical, check out Online Writing Styles.

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Thanks for reading!